Fwd: International Day Against Homophobia: Launch of the "Zero Homophobia in the United Nations" campaign.
paula jojart
From: Silva Pesic [mailto:Silva...@undp.org]
Sent: Monday, May 23, 2011 12:01 PM
To: smijanovic_unicef.org; Zoran Samardziev; Aleksandar Mihajlov; Sandra Ismanovski; Ljupco Mantev; Jovanka Grigorijevic; gordana.c...@undp.org; Anita Kodzoman; djp_who.org.mk; Dmitri Alechkevitch; Dominika Stojanoska; krstanovski_ilo.org; Ilija Talev; izakoska_iom.int; Jelena Janevska; Maja Kalanoska; Mihaela Stojkoska; nsabani_unicef.org; Olimpija Grozdanovska; Paula Jojart; spe_who.org.mk; nikolovs_unhcr.org; UN Macedonia Country Team; Vesna Dzuteska-Bisheva
Subject: FW: International Day Against Homophobia: Launch of the "Zero Homophobia in the United Nations" campaign.
Dear colleagues,
Following to the message regarding the UN High Commissioner’s video message and the publication of a pamphlet on violence and discrimination targeted at lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) persons, the UN-GLOBE, which represents LGBT staff members in the UN system, launched the Zero Homophobia in the United Nations campaign. The campaign, which received the support by UN system staff associations, coincided with the International Day Against Homophobia (May 17) and is intended to highlight the continuing prejudice and discrimination directed at LGBT staff within the UN system.
Diversity is one of the UN’s greatest assets and homophobia and transphobia, together with other forms of discrimination, have no place within UN corridors. A recent survey at a UN organization found that 55% of respondents had not “come out” to their supervisor because they were worried about damaging their career and had experienced homophobic behaviour and discrimination in the past. There have been advances in the past decade, but LGBT staff and their families may still be denied secure pensions, allowances, residence permits for members of their household or even family leave to be with a sick, disabled or injured partner, spouse or child.
The UN-GLOBE campaign calls on all UN staff to help make the UN a workplace where no discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation is tolerated, and to guarantee the right to dignity and equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender colleagues in the workplace.
The International Day against Homophobia commemorated the decision taken by the World Health Organization on 17 May 1990 to remove homosexuality from the International Classification of Diseases. Since then, senior UN officials, including the UN Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, have spoken out clearly and on repeated occasions for concerted action to better protect individuals from violence and discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Following the international movement to commemorate that date every year as the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, a number of organizations in the UN family, including UNDP and UNAIDS, have been marking May 17th with special events and awareness-raising campaigns.
UN-GLOBE is a UN staff group inspired by the underlying human rights principles of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Founded in 1996 at the UN Secretariat, it works with the UN’s Office of Human Resources Management, staff associations and allied staff members, advocating for equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender UN employees around the world, including with regard to relationship recognition and equal benefits.
Learn more about the campaign and join the discussion at www.facebook.com/unglobe
Posters and web flyers are available on request in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, (Arabic forthcoming).
Regards,
Silva
Silva Pesic
Human Rights Adviser
Office of the UN Resident Coordinator
8-ma Udarna Brigada, 2
1000 Skopje, Macedonia
Tel: +389 2 3249 573
Fax: +389 2 3249 505
E-mail: silva...@undp.org
UNCT Website: www.un.org.mk
